Trigger device on multiple-gun mounts for automatic guns



April 23, 1957 H. HERLACH 2,789,477

TRIGGER DEVICE ON MULTIPLE-GUN MOUNTS FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Aug. 1, 1952 v 5 SheetsSheet 1 Illa :llll 'IIIIIII I, l l A A l I I51 I im'vasmwmz Hfler/qcb I April 23, 1957.

H. HERLACH 2,789,477

TRIGGER DEVICE ON MULTIPLE-GUN MOUNTS FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Aug. 1 195? 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. HERLACH A pril Z3, 1957 TRIGGER DEVICE ON MULTIPLE-GUN MOUNTS FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Aug. 1, 1952' I r 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

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A'rroruveus' ire TRIGGER DEVICE ON MULTIPLE-GUN MOUNTS FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS Heinrich Herlach, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Machine Tool Works Oerlikon, Administration Company, 1Zuufich-Uerlikon, Switzerland, a company of Switzer- The present invention relates to a trigger device on multiple-gun mounts for automatic guns.

In order to enhance the probability of hits, the endeavour is made with such gun mounts to ensure that the guns fire alternately with a constant time interval between two shots. Trigger devices designed to satisfy this requirement are known with the aid of which the various automatic guns of one multiple-gun mount can be set firing at exactly those time intervals which are dictated by the firing sequence of the guns.

These known trigger devices have, however, the drawback that when firing is discontinued the guns cease firing in the reverse order of sequence; i. e., the gun which was the first tobegin firing is the last to cease fire. Moreover, the action of such trigger devices is generally dependent on the speed with which the gunner operates the trigger member. For these two reasons it may happen that one gun fires several more rounds than the other during each burst of fire, and therefore exhausts its supply of ammunition earlier. t

The trigger device according to the present invention avoids this drawback, since at the end of a burst of fire the guns cease firing in the same sequence as :when they began and the function of the trigger deviceis independent of the speed with which the gunner operates the trigger member.

The trigger device is characterized by the fact that identically similar cams coupled to one another andin engagement with the trigger membersof the'guns are rotatably disposed on at least oneshaft in the gun cradle, that actuating means controlled by the gunners trigger lever and adapted to encompass the movement of the cams in one direction, and a device adapted to regulate the speed of said movement of the cams are provided, and that the cams are so rotationally offset inrespect of one another that on the operation of the trigger lever they, through the agency of the actuating. means and of the regulating device, operate the-trigger members of the guns successively at time intervals adapted to the firing sequence of the guns and release said trigger members again in the same sequence.

In the accompanying drawing an embodiment' of the inventive trigger device on a twin gun mount is represented. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a schematic lateral elevational view of the twin gun mount; 7

Figure 2 is a sectional viewalong the line I I of the rear portion of the cradle;

Figures 3-10 are schematic representations of parts of the trigger mechanism in various positions;

Figure 11 shows the triggerlever of a gun with the actuating parallelogram of the trigger device;

Figure 12 is a schematic view of the members actuating the trigger device; e l

Figure 13 is a sectional view of the regulating cylinder, and, i V Figure 14 is a schematic representation,of the sequence in which the shells leave the two guns.

States Patent The twin gun mount shown schematically in Figure 1 has a base 1 on which the upper mount 2 is pivotally mounted. The upper mount 2 carries the cradle 3 with the guns 4 by means of bars 50. The cradle 3 is provided with a hollow shaft (not shown), the axis of which coincides with the axis of the trunnions 52 and which supports a sight arm 5 carrying the shoulder ring 6, the elevating gear '7 and the gun-sight 8. The gunner freely controls the gun in train with the aid of the shoulder ring 6, which with the swivelling sight arm 5, automatically adapts itself to the gunners physique. Pivotally attached to the left side of the sight arm 5 is the trigger arm 9 which is operated by the gunners forearm and is connected to the trigger device on the cradle through a rod assembly 10, 27 and 53. As shown in Fig. 12 and as is described hereinafter, the trigger arm 9 is in driving connection with a rod 37 pivotally connected with the casing 54. The rod 37 is pivotally connected with one end of a further rod 10 (Fig. 1), the other end of which is attached to the sight arm 5 by any suitable means not shown in the drawings.

The guns 4 are resiliently mounted in the cradle and perform short recoil movements during firing, as shown by the arrow A in Figure 11, by which each gun is automatically cocked and fired after each shot, as long as its trigger lever 11 is maintained in its operative position. The trigger levers 11 are pivotally mounted on theguns. In order to actuate the trigger levers alternately, the latter are connected with means which comprise a pair of rails 13, levers 14, a rotary shaft 13 and earns 17 and 19 which are mounted thereon. During the recoil movement of each gun its trigger lever 11 which tends to rotate clockwise under the influence of a spring (not shown), travels by means of its roller 12 on one of the two rails 13: or 131. Each rail forms a hinged parallelogram together with the two levers 141, 15 and 141, 151, respectively, which are pivoted to the cradle 3. To operate the trigger levers, the levers 14, 15 are swivelled upwards by the roller 16 connected to the lever 15, whereby the rail is lifted in the direction of the arrow B and the trigger lever of the gun is swivelled in the direction of the arrow C. The movement of the rail is controlled by a rotary element formed by the trigger shaft 18, a disc 19 and two cams 17. Hereinafter, those parts of the trigger device which are duplicated for the two guns will be referred to by identical reference numerals, but the latter Will be completed by the addition of the index letters I and r according as the left or the right gun is concerned.

Figure 2 is a sectional view, parallel to the axes of the guns, of the rear portion of the cradle with the trigger device. .As will be seen from this figure, the cams 17 are secured to the trigger shaft 13 which traverses the cradle from side to side. As shown in Figure 4, the two cams are rotationally offset in respect of one another so that as the trigger shaft 13 rotates the rails 131 and 131' are not lifted simultaneously but successively.

When the trigger shaft 13 rotates clockwise (direction of arrow), the earns 17 are first moved from the position of rest shown in Figure 4 into the position shown in Figure 6, during which process the cam 171 lifts the left rail 131 through the agency of the follower roller 161 and the left gun begins to fire, whilst the right rail 13: has not yet moved. As the rotary movement continues, cam 17:

' lifts rail 13;, so that both guns fire. When firing ceases,

To encompass this function of .the cams it is necessary that the trigger shaft 18 should rotate in the same direction to open fire as to cease fire, although the trigger arm operated by the gunner moves in opposite directions for these two respective functions. To achieve this, a disk 19, provided with four studs 2%, parallel to the trigger shaft 13 is mounted on the latter, said studs engaging the pawls 21 and 22. The pawls 21 and 22 are pivotally attached to the arms 23 and 24 respectively, which in turn are pivotally mounted on the cradle by means of the pivot pins 26, said pawls 21 and 22 being held in engagement with the studs by the tension spring 25. The arms 23 and 24 are connected to one another by the ratchet teeth 23a, 24a, so that they at all times perform like movements in opposite directions. The arm 24 is connected by a rod 27 to the rod assembly 10 and thereby to the trigger arm 9.

On the operation of the trigger arm 9 the rod 27 is moved in the direction of the arrow. As a result, the disk 19 is rotated a quarter of a turn in the clockwise direction by the pawl 22 engaging one of the studs 20. When the trigger arm 9 is set back, the parts 2124 move in the opposite direction and the disk 19 is turned a further quarter-turn by the pawl 21. Thus at any given time only one of the two pawls 21, 22 is in engagement with the studs 2% of the disk 19, whilst the other slides along over the studs.

As will be seen from Figure 12, the trigger arm 9 is pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 28 on the sight arm 5. The trigger arm 9, which grips the gunners forearm by two clamp members 9a, is formed integral with a threearmed lever 29. A lever 31 designed approximately as a mirror image of the three-armed lever is mounted on a further pivot pin 33. The arms 29b, 31b of the levers 29 and 31 respectively are interconnected by the rod 32, so that the pivotal movement of the trigger arm 9 on the lever 29 is transmitted to the lever 31. Pivotally mounted on the pivot pins 28 and are two driver members 33 and 34 respectively the free ends of which engage by studs 35, 36 in slots 37a, 37b of a rod 37. The rod 37 is connected at one end through the rod assembly 10 to the rod 27 and thereby to the trigger shaft 18. At its other end, the rod 37 is connected by the link 38 to the piston rod 39 of a hydraulic cylinder 40. The driver members 33 and 34 are provided with abutments 33a, 34a which come into engagement with the nebs 29c, 310 of the three-armed levers. Two catches, 42 and 43 respectively, are pivotally mounted on the respective pivot pins 41 of the two driver members. Each of the catches 42 and 43 is designed as the mirror image of the other and the two are interconnected by a spring 44. The swivelling movement of the catches 42 and 43 in the direction dictated by the pull of the spring is limited by abutments, 33a and 34a respectively, on the driver members. The catches 42 and 43 have hook-shaped arms, 42a and 43a respectively, which are able to engage abutments, 5a and 511 respectively, rigidly secured to the sight arm. The arms 29:; and 31a of the three-armed levers serve to bring the catches 42 and 43 respectively, out of engagement with the abutments 5a and 5b respectively.

The piston rod 39 has a piston member 39a which travels inside the cylinder 40. The rear portion of the piston rod is hollow and accommodates within it the regulating screw 45 by means of which the cross-sectional area of flow passage at the bores 3% can be regulated. By such regulation the speed of movement of the rod 37, and thereby of the entire trigger device, can be accurately set.

The manner in which the device functions is as follows: When the trigger arm 9 is operated, the three-armed lever 29 and the lever 31 connected thereto perform a pivotal movement in the course of which the arm 29c of the lever 29, through the abutment 33a, swivels the driver member 33 whose stud slides along within the slot 37a. Since the catch 43 of the driver member 34 is in engagement with the abutment 5b on the sight arm, the driver member 34 cannot swivel. The spring 44 is therefore stretched. Towards the end of the swivelling motion of the parts 9, 29 and 31, the arm 31a of the lever 31 encounters, by its oblique face 31d, the corresponding stud 43c of the catch 43 and thereby moves said catch 43, against the action of the spring 44, out of engagement with the abutment 5b on the sight arm. Now the driver member 34 swivels under the action of the previously tensioned spring 44 and consequently moves the rod 37 to the right through the agency of the stud 36. At the same time the catch 42 has come into engagement with the abutment 5a and thus holds the drive-r member 33 in the right-hand position. This movement, the speed of which is controlled by the hydraulic cylinder 40 and the piston 38, is transmitted through the rod assembly 10 to the rod 27 and the levers 23 and 24. As a result the disk 19 and with it the trigger shaft 18 are turned by the pawl 22 until these parts reach the positions shown in Figure 7. During this movement the cam 171 lifts first the follower roller 161 and with it the rail 131 and the trigger of the left-hand gun is thereby actuated (Figures 5 and 6). At the end of the movement of the trigger mechanism the parts occupy the positions shown in Figures 7 and 8 and the rail 'l3r is lifted, through the follower roller 16y, by

the cams 171'. Both guns have now been set firing. The speed of the trigger movement can be so regulated by means of the screw 45 that the time interval between the operation of the first gun and the operation of the second gun is half of the time interval between two shots. The effect of this is that the guns fire alternately according to the pattern shown schematically in Figure 14.

When the trigger arm 9 is set back, the two levers swivel in the opposite direction. A t first the driver member 33, being coupled to the abutment 5a of the sight arm by the catch 42, remains in its position. The driver member 34 on the other hand, under the impulsion of the arm 31c bearing against the abutment 34a, swivels until the catch 43 engages the abutment 5b of the sight arm, the spring .44 being tensioned again. At the same time, however, the arm 29a reaches its uppermost position and liberates the catch 42 from the abutment 5a, so that the driver member 33, under the impulsion of the spring 44, whips over to the left, its stud 35 pulling the rod 37 along with it. The speed of the movement of the rod 37 is again controlled by the action of the hydraulic cylinder 40 and the piston 39. The movement of the rod 36 is again transmitted by the rod assembly 10 to the rod 27 and causes the levers 23 and 24 to pivot in the opposite direction (cf. Figure 9). The disk 19 is now turned, by the pawl 21, a further quarterturn in the same direction as before. This quarter-turn of the disk 19 and of the trigger shaft 18 causes first the left rail 131 to be released, by the cam 171 acting through the follower roller 161, so that the left gun ceases firing. As the rotary movement of the trigger shaft 18 continues, the right rail 13;- also lowers, so that the trigger mechanism returns to the starting position shown in Figures 3 and 4. What is achieved by this cycle of operations of the trigger device is that when the guns cease firing they do so in the same sequence and at the same time interval as when they began firing, so that at each burst of fire the two guns fire an equal number of rounds.

What Iclaim is:

1. In a twin gun mount, a trigger mechanism comprising a separate trigger lever for each gun, said trigger lever being movable from a position of rest to an operative position, and vice versa; means comprising a rotary element and operatively engaging said trigger levers to move them one after the other from the position of rest to the operative position and then in the same sequence from the operative position to the position of rest when the rotary element is rotated in one direction, an arm reciprocable between two end positions, and means interposed between said arm and said rotary element for transforming the reciprocation of said arm into a rotation of said rotary element in said one direction.

2. In a twin gun mount, a trigger mechanism comprising a separate trigger lever for each gun, said trigger lever being movable from a position of rest to an operative position, and vice versa, means which comprise a rotary element and which operatively engage said trigger levers and move them one after the other from the position of rest to the operative position and then in the same sequence from the operative position to the position of rest when the rotary element is rotated in one direction, an arm reciprocable between two end positions, and a mechanism interposed between said arm and said rotary element and comprising means transforming the reciprocation of said arm into a rotation of said rotary element in said one direction, and means regulating the speed of rotation of said rotary element independently of the speed of reciprocation of said arm.

3. In a twin gun mount, a trigger mechanism comprising a separate trigger lever for each gun, a transmission mechanism operatively connected with said trigger levers and comprising a rotary element, said transmission mechanism actuating said trigger levers one after the other when the rotary element is rotated in one direction, catch means for said transmission mechanism, said catch means comprising an immovable abutment and a catch normally engaging said abutment, an arm movable from a position of rest to an operative position, said arm engaging said catch in said operative position and moving it from said abutment to release said transmission mechanism, and spring means connected with said transmission mechanism and said arm and adapted to be tensioned when said arm is moved and being released by said transmission mechanism when said catch means are released. 7

4. In a twin gun mount, a trigger mechanism comprising a separate trigger lever for each gun, said trigger lever being movable from a position of rest to an operative position, and vice versa; a transmission mechanism operatively connected with said trigger levers and comprising a rotary element, the rotation of said rotary element causing movement of said trigger levers one after the other from the position of rest to the operative position and then in the same sequence from the operative position to the position of rest when the rotary element are rotated in one direction, a step-by-step mechanism having a ratchet wheel operatively engaging said rotary element, a pair of driving pawls engaging said ratchet wheel, and a reciprocating arm operatively connected with said pawls whereby the ratchet Wheel is rotated stepwise in one direction by said pawls when said arm is reciprocated.

5. In a twin gun mount, a trigger mechanism comprising a separate trigger lever for each gun, said trigger lever being movable from a position of rest to an operative position, and vice versa; a transmission mechanism operatively connected with said trigger levers and comprising a rotary element, the rotation of said rotary element causing movement of said trigger levers one after the other from the position of rest to the operative position and then in the same sequence from the operative position to the position of rest when the rotary element is rotated in one direction, a ratchet Wheel op eratively engaging said rotary element, a pair of driving pawls engaging said ratchet wheel, a reciprocatory arm operatively connected with said pawls, whereby the ratchet wheel is rotated stepwise in one direction by said pawls when said arm is reciprocated, an arm reciprocally swingable between a position of rest and an operative position, coupling means resiliently connecting said arms and reciprocating the first-mentioned arm when the secend-mentioned arm is swung between the position of rest and the operative position, and speed regulating means connected with the first-mentioned arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 430,211 Maxim June 17, 1890 2,236,335 Dugied Mar. 25, 1941 2,329,668 Trimbach Sept. 14, 1943 2,509,734 Higson May 30, 1950 2,527,715 Duplessis Oct. 31, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 863,885 France Apr. 11, 1941 239,556 Switzerland Oct. 31, 1945 

